Tawny Weber - The Night Before Christmas - Naughty Christmas Nights / The Nightshift Before Christmas / 'Twas the Week Before Christmas

“Just one drink?” Gage suggested, who, unlike her, sounded perfectly content to write the evening off as a pitch-fail.

“No, no. It’s my bedtime. We’ll meet tomorrow, though. You both still have two shots to convince me. Sound fair?”

Not bothering to wait for a response, he wrapped one arm around Candy, offered his other to the blonde, gave them all a wink and headed for the door.

Hailey was pretty sure her mouth was hanging open.

So much for stamina.

* * *

BUSINESS-WISE, Gage was calling this evening a total bust.

He’d set out with the intention of intimidating Hailey, charming Cherry and tossing enough sexual entertainment at Rudy that the guy didn’t give this whole stupid bet thing any attention.

He’d ended up fascinated by Hailey, Cherry was a no-show and Rudy had just walked out with way more entertainment than Gage had figured on. And not one single thing had been accomplished toward the goal of being in Tahoe by the weekend.

“Damn,” he muttered, dropping back onto the fur-covered stool.

“I’m sorry.”

He gave Hailey a skeptical look. “Yeah? Really?”

“Yeah, really,” she said, sincerity clear in those huge eyes. “It’s not fun making big plans and putting everything you’ve got into a pitch and then having it fall apart.”

Right. Because her scenario had fallen apart, too. Even though this evening had been a bust, he supposed he’d got the better end of the deal in pitching. At least Rudy had shown up for his and had enjoyed it enough that he’d remember the next day.

Her frown ferocious, like a kitten showing its claws, Hailey glared at the exit, then huffed a heavy sigh. Lifting the punch pitcher, she gestured to his glass. When Gage shook his head, she shrugged and refilled her own.

He should probably warn her that the sweet drink was eighty proof under all that sugar. Before he could, though, she drained it. The whole thing, in one swallow.

His body stirred, sexual interest once again beat out his irritation.

“Look,” she said, gesturing with both hands as if to indicate that he observe, like, everything around her head. “I want this done, too. Until it is, my future is on hold.”

“I’d have thought you’d want to drag it out. Put off the end until you’d got a side deal or other options.” He knew it was a rude assessment, but dammit, she was right. He wanted this over with.

“Why would I want to drag this out? I have a life of my own, a business to run and Christmas is only a couple weeks away. Believe it or not, I have other things to do than hang out with an old man, his treat du jour and a no-show torch singer.”

He noticed she hadn’t mentioned him on that list. Because she didn’t have better things to do than spend time with him? Or because she didn’t see him as a major factor in her life.

“You’re really looking forward to the deal being struck? Once it is, the options are done for making side deals, you know.”

And she’d have no reason to spend time with him. He couldn’t imagine a woman wanting to date the guy who’d beat her out of a seven-figure contract.

Date? Where the hell had that come from? He wasn’t a dating kind of guy. He was a fun-for-a-night guy. Maybe-a-weekend-if-the-woman-was-wild kind of guy. But his life was business, his focus success. Women, except on a very temporary basis, didn’t factor in.

And now he was thinking dating? Gage eyed the punch, wondering if the alcohol fumes were getting to him. Because he didn’t think these kind of thoughts about women. Ever.

“Well, sure I’m looking forward to it. Because I’m going to win the deal.”

Gage laughed and shook his head in admiration. She never gave up, did she?

“You don’t really believe that, do you?” He gestured to the rooms at the back where Rudy had had his fun. “You think you made a more persuasive argument than I did tonight?”

“Maybe not a more persuasive argument, given that neither of the judges was there to enjoy it. But I do think I’ll win in the long run.”

“You’re quite the idealist.”

She shrugged, either ignoring his sarcasm or floating on too much punch to recognize it.

“I figured out pretty young that things rarely turn out the way I want right away. But if I work at them, if I push and try my hardest, eventually it all comes together.”

She was fascinating. A mix of naïveté, faith, sexual moxie and determination. Throw in a gorgeous smile, her hot little body and a hell of a lot of talent, and that was one potent package. Still...she wasn’t going to win.

“Are you thinking that law-of-attraction mumbo jumbo is going to help you somehow?” he asked.

“Nope. Simple optimism. I just keep believing until what I believe is real.”

“And that works?”

Her smile dimmed for a second, then Hailey shrugged. “Sometimes it has. I’m still waiting for the others.”

“Like?”

If that wasn’t a nosy question, he didn’t know what was. But he’d had his hand up her skirt already tonight. Why balk at poking into her private life, too.

“Like, you know, business stuff. I have this secretary. She’s aces at her job, she’s loyal to the company and she works magic with numbers. But she wishes I’d disappear.”

Gage could relate. Plenty of people wished he’d disappear. But none of them had the nerve to show it to his face.

“Why’d you hire her?”

“She came with the company.” Hailey waved her hand again, as if dismissing question-and-answer period, clearly wanting to make her point. “But here’s the thing. Every month, every week. Every. Day,” she said with extra emphasis. “She’s getting closer to accepting me. To liking me. Now, would I have liked that approval and being included? Yes. Did I want to be remembered, maybe treated like I mattered every once in a while? Sure. But does it stop me from believing that I belong? That I’m important and special? Hell, no.”

She pounded her fist on the table in emphasis. Gage quickly grabbed the glasses that were in sudden danger of toppling to the floor.

Frowning, he peered at her. He didn’t know who they were talking about now, but he was sure it wasn’t her secretary.

Another man?

A vicious clawing sort of fury gripped his guts. It took him a few seconds to realize the feeling was jealousy.

He didn’t like it.

“But hey, I figure someday, she’s going to adore me. Because, you know, I’m adorable,” Hailey added, giggling and looking just as adorable as she claimed. And, he noted, looking as though the punch was having its effect.

He should take her home.

But first...

“When do you give up?”

Her frown was the tiniest furrow between her brows, as if that wasn’t a question she let herself consider.

“If it’s important, you don’t give up.”

“Isn’t it smarter to check your ROI, and if the return isn’t worth the investment, simply walk away? Quit expending energy.” Gage shook his head, unable to imagine trying over and over again without success. Or only eking a few inches of success out of any given deal. He was an everything-or-nothing kind of guy, though.

“Isn’t it smarter to do what you love, and believe that it’s going to work out exactly how you want, than to give up on a dream and settle for less?” she countered.

Gage wanted to rub his gut at that direct hit. One she probably didn’t even realize she’d made. She couldn’t know how much he wanted to leave Milano. How badly he wanted to make his own mark.

Feeling his face fold into a scowl, he tilted his head toward the door.

“Ready to call it quits? I’ll drive you home.”

“What about my car?”

“I don’t think you should be driving tonight, do you?” He arched a brow at her empty punch glass.